Freesheets Datapoint: Germans Likely To Pay For News, Icelanders Not So Much

Here’s an insightful chart from Dutch media researcher Dr Piet Bakker (click pic to enlarge). He’s run the numbers on circulation of paid and free newspapers across Europe – the result shows which countries have a propensity toward ad support and which to cover prices. In Germany, though, as Bakker notes, while readers want freesheets, publishers there are reluctant to meet the demand. Still, expect that red area to get bigger in the next few years, if the trend toward ad-funded free news can withstand the advertising depression, as publishers try to counter flagging interest with no-cost alternatives.